Effect of vitamin D on pregnancy in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: retrospective and prospective studies

Abstract

Research question: Does vitamin D (VD) affect the pregnancy of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients receiving ovulation-induction therapy?Design: The retrospective study included 200 patients with PCOS and 200 healthy women, and the prospective study included 160 patients with PCOS. Serum levels of 25-(OH) D3, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), progesterone (P), estradiol (E), testosterone (T), and fasting insulin (FINS) were measured, and the LH/FSH ratio and BMI (body mass index) were calculated.Result(s): For the retrospective study, PCOS patients had lower levels of 25-(OH) D3 than healthy women (P<0.001). Pregnant PCOS patients had higher levels of 25-(OH) D3 than non-pregnant PCOS patients (P<0.01), and the pregnancy rate was lower in the VD-deficient group than in the VD non-deficient group (P<0.05). In the prospective study, compared with the placebo (PB) supplementation, VD supplementation significantly increased serum levels of 25-(OH) D3 (P<0.001) and reduced the LH/FSH ratio (P<0.05), LH level (P<0.01), and T level (P<0.05). After the intervention, it was found that the LH/FSH ratio, and LH, T levels significantly decreased in both groups compared to the pre-intervention (P<0.001). After ovulation-induction, the pregnancy rate in patients in the VD group was found to be higher than that in the PB group (P<0.05).Conclusion(s): VD deficiency is common in PCOS patients, and VD-deficient PCOS patients often have lower pregnancy rates after ovulation-induction. VD supplementation can improve pregnancy rates and mitigate basic hormone disorders. Therefore, monitoring VD supplementation and checking VD levels before and during intervention are essential for PCOS patients.